This 1978 Pontiac Formula is located in Houston, Texas. The seller says that the engine was just rebuilt and it is “Strong Like a Bull.” That makes me want to go test drive it! The car is also said to need a little TLC. Pontiac offered four models of its famous 2nd generation Firebird including the base model, Esprit, Formula, and Trans Am. Most people are familiar with the Trans Am but a buyer could also order a Formula and option it with all the performance goodies that came on a Trans Am. This car is listed here on Craigslist for a price of $8,100. It has been listed for 10 weeks so maybe the seller is ready to make a deal.
The interior is rough and includes a broken shifter, aftermarket steering wheel, and poorly fitting seat covers. The dash is covered by a carpet dash cover which usually means the dash is cracked. The seller states that the car does not have much rust and is ready to rock and roll. The car appears to have been originally equipped with a deluxe interior based on the door panels. It would be nice to see some pictures of the undercarriage to determine the amount of rust on the car.
Engine options in 1978 for the Formula included the LM1 Chevrolet 350 cubic inch V8 engine rated at 170 horsepower, an L78 Pontiac 400 cubic inch V8 engine rated at 180 horsepower, a W72 Pontiac 400 cubic inch V8 engine rated at 220 horsepower, an L80 Oldsmobile 403 cubic inch V8 engine rated at 185 horsepower and an LG3 Chevrolet 305 cubic inch V8 engine rated at 150 horsepower. Most enthusiasts do not know that you could order a 1978 Pontiac Firebird Formula with a Chevrolet 350 or 305 cubic inch V8 engine. I had one for a short amount of time with a Chevrolet 350 V8 and it was slow. The seller does not state what engine is in this car.
The exterior appears to be Martinique blue which was a one-year color only. The car is currently equipped with factor 15×7 snowflake wheels and black wall tires. If the aluminum wheels are original, it indicates that this Pontiac Firebird Formula was not equipped with the WS6 suspension handling option because the car would have originally been equipped with 15×8 snowflake aluminum wheels. I hope this one gets restored and back on the road.
Hi Bruce, it is a Formula as correctly stated in the article. It’s funny, the Seller did the same thing in his FB listing. Great write-up and that’s so interesting about the optional motors and wheels as they relate to the WS6 handling package. My ex’s ’79 T/A 6.6 W72 had that and it’s his worth its weight in gold. It’s probably a solid car, but being from Houston and having family just outside there, Houston is so humid, checking for rust is always a safe bet.
Does the cheeken come with the car?
Thats not a chicken ……………….that is the fire chicken
NOT a Trans Am. Wrong hood. Wrong dash. That’s a Formula hood and dash. Needs plenty of work.
I special ordered the same car (Formula) back in 78, although mine had a white standard interior and had the 305 Chevy engine (what a dog!). I wanted and test drove the 400/4 speed Trans Am but couldn’t afford the insurance rates (lots of tickets back then). These were great looking and quick for the day, depending on engine choice but poor quality in the assembly process.